The present invention relates to tennis training devices in general and, more specifically to improvements in such devices which offer the advantages of versatility, portability and realistic response.
Prior art tennis training or practice devices have suffered from various combinations of the following disadvantages: high cost; lack of mobility; lack of versatility; unrealistic response; complex construction; time consuming to set-up or install. An example of such prior devices is the automatic ball feeder which propels tennis balls toward the player. Such ball feeders are often costly, quite heavy, and require a large area such as a tennis court for use. Simpler tennis practice devices are of the suspended-ball type. For example, tethered ball devices have been proposed as tennis trainers; however, a tethered ball device offers no resistance to a racket impacting the ball and is therefore unrealistic as a training device. Further, such tether devices result in erratic movement of the ball so that for all practical purposes they can only be used when the ball is still.